How come Bobby Fischer or Kasparov or Karpov are not on the list?

I was in the library looking at the Chess Notice Board. Posted were "Greatest Lists" of Chess. Greatest Tacticians, Greatest Strategists, etc. This guy walks over, chess "bag" on the shoulder. He joins me looking at "The Greatest 19th Century Chess Players". Very quickly, he noticed that there was no Fischer, no Kasparov, and no Karpov! He exploded: "Why isn't Bobby Fischer on the list? No Kasparov or Karpov? Why aren't they on the list?!!!"

He then mumbled something, calling the author "ignorant", "X&%#", etc.

Then he asked me a question: "DON'T YOU THINK THEY SHOULD BE ON THE LIST?"